WEEK 2 LESSON 1

Course Learning Outcome

At the end of this module, the students are expected to;

1. Enumerate the characteristics of a title;

2. Construct their own research title;
3. Define what is statement of the problem, assumption, and hypothese.

The Title

The title is a major determinant of whether your research paper will be read. It should
draw the reader’s attention and interest and make them want to continue reading.

The title should accurately, completely, and specifically indicate the focus of the paper,
and should contain relevant “keywords.” The best way to structure you title is to look at
your hypothesis and experimental variables.

The thesis writer should be guided by the following of his title. These are also the
characteristics of the title.

1. Generally, the title is formulated before the start of the research. It may be revised by
the researcher later if there is a need to revise.

2. The title must contain the subject matter of the study, the locale of the study, the
population involved, and the period when the data were gathered or will be gathered.

3. It must be broad enough to include all aspects of the subject matter studied or to be
studied. The title must indicate what are to be expected to be found inside the thesis
report.

4. It must be as brief and concise as possible.

5. The researcher must avoid the terms “An Analysis of”, “A Study of,” “An Investigation
of,”. All these things are understood to have been done or to be done when a
researcher is conducting his research.

6. If the title contains more than one line, it must be written like an inverted pyramid, all
words in capital letters.
Example of a complete title:

THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF

PROVINCE B AS A PERCEIVED BY THE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR 2016-2017

The contents as required by Guidelines No. 2 are:

a. Subject matter : The teaching of mathematics

b. Locale of the study : Senior High School of Province B

c. Population involved : The mathematics teachers and students; and

d. Period of the study : School year 2016-2017

THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS

IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OF PROVINCE B
It will be noted that the population, the mathematics teachers and students as well as
the period of the study, 2016-2017, are omitted when writing the second form but they
have to be mentioned in the scope and delimitation of the study. It will also be noted
that the title, though brief and simplified, is broad enough to include all possible aspects
of the subject matter. The central theme, which is the teaching of mathematics, is also
very clear.

Statement of the Problem

Guidelines in formulating the general problem and the specific subproblems or specific
questions. The following are suggested to guide the researcher in the formulation of his
general as well as his specific subproblems or questions. These are also the
characteristics of specific questions:

1. The general statement of the problem and the specific suubproblems or questions
should be formulated first before conducting the research.

2. It is customary to state specific subproblems in the interrogative form. Subproblems

are called specific questions.

3. Each specific questions must be clear and unequivocal, that is, it has only one
meaning it must not have dual meaning.
4. Each specific question is researchable apart from the other questions, that is,
answers to each specific question can be found even without considering the other
questions.

5. Each specific question must be based upon known facts and phenomena. Besides,
data from such known facts and phenomena must be accessible to make the specific
question researchable.

6. Answers to specific question can be interpreted apart from the answers to other
specific questions.

7. Answers to each specific question must contribute to the development of the whole
research problem or topic.

8. Summing up the answers to all the specific questions will give a complete
development of the entire study.

9. The number of specific questions should be enough to cover the development of the
whole research problem or study.

Before writing down the specific questions, determine first the different aspects of the
research problem to be studied and then for each make one specific question with
subquestions if there is a need to do it. If the research topic is the teaching of
mathematics the different aspects may be the following:

a. Qualifications of teachers, especially educational;

b. Methods and strategies of teaching used and their level of effectiveness;

c. Facilities available, instructional and non-instructional and their adequacy;

d. Adequacy of supervisory assistance extended to teachers;

e. Comparison between the perceptions of the teacher and those of the students
concerning the different aspects;

f. Problems encountered by the teachers in teaching mathematics;

g. Proposals to solve or help solve the problems; and

h. Implication of the study to the teaching of mathematics.

10. Generally, there should be a general statement of the problem and then this
should be broken up into as many subproblems or specific questions as necessary.
Example: This study was conducted to investigate all aspects of the teaching of
mathematics in the senior high school of Province B during the school year 2016-2017
as perceived by the mathematics teachers and students. Specifically, the study
attempted to answer the following questions:

a. How effective are the methods and strategies used by the teachers in teaching
mathematics?

b. How qualified are the teachers handling mathematics in the senior high school
of Province B?

c. How adequate are the instructional as well as the non-instructional facilities for
the teaching of mathematics?

d. How adequate are the forms of supervisory assistance extended to the

teacher relative to the teaching of mathematics?

e. Is there any significant difference between the perceptions of the teachers and
those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of
mathematics?

f. What problems are being encountered by the teachers of mathematics?

g. What suggestions are offered by the teachers and students to improve the
teaching of mathematics?

h. What are the implications of the findings to the teaching of mathematics?

Assumptions

An assumption is a self-evident truth which is based upon a known fact or phenomena.

Often times in descriptive or historical researches, assumptions are not explicitly
expressed but left implicit, that is, they are unwritten. Generally, every specific question
is implicitly based upon an assumption. If there is no assumption, expressed or implicit,
there can be no specific question.

Examples:

1. Specific question: How qualified are the teachers handling mathematics

subject?

Implicit (unwritten) assumption: There are certain qualifications that one should
possess before he/she can teach mathematics.

2. Specific question: How adequate are the facilities that a school acquires before
it can offer mathematics as a subject?
Implicit assumption: There are certain required facilities that a school acquires before
it can offer mathematics subject.

3. Specific question: How effective are the methods used in teaching

mathematics?

Implicit assumption: There are certain methods that are effective in the teaching of
mathematics.

Guidelines in the use of basis assumption. The following are the guidelines in the use of
basic assumption: (By Sugden as cited by Manuel,p.81)

1. You cannot assume the value of your study. Such as argument should have been
made under the section, significance of the study.

2. You cannot assume the reliability of the instruments you propose to use in your
research. Such as rationale and defense should be made under methodology.

3. You cannot assume the validity of basic data. Validity is established under
methodology.

4. You cannot assume that your population is typical. This point is to be made under
methodology.

5. An assumption is not tested, neither is it defended nor argued.

Hypotheses

A hypothesis is an educated guess about the answer to a specific question or answer to

a specific question raised at the beginning of the investigation.

Forms of hypotheses

There are two forms of hypotheses. One is in the operational form and the other is in
the null form. The operational form is stated in the affirmative while the null form is
stated in the negative. The operational form states that there is a difference between
two phenomena while the null form states that there is no difference between the two
phenomena. In other words the null form expresses equality between the two
phenomena. This is more commonly used.

The following are the guidelines in the formation of explicit hypotheses:

1. In experimental investigations, hypotheses have to be explicit, they have to be

expressed. They have to be expressed also in comparative and correlational studies.
2. In descriptive and historical investigations, hypotheses are seldom expressed if not
entirely absent. The subproblems or specific questions raised before the start of the
investigation and stated under the statement of the problem serve as the hypotheses.
(Good and Scates,pp.220-2221). The specific questions serve as the hypotheses. With
this fact, it is logical to presume that all studies in research have hypotheses and for that
matter all theses and dissertation have their own respective hypotheses. Consequently,
no research is conducted without ant hypothesis at all.

3. Hypotheses are usually stated in the null form because testing a null hypothesis is
easier than a hypothesis in the operational form. Testing a hypothesis simply means
gathering data to answer it.

4. Hypotheses are formulated from the specific questions upon which they are based.

Example:

Question: Is there any significant difference between the perceptions of the teachers
and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of
mathematics?

Operational hypothesis: There is a significant difference between the perceptions of

the teachers and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching
of mathematics.

Null hypothesis: There is no significant difference between the perceptions of the

teachers and those of the students concerning the different aspects in the teaching of
mathematics.

Hypotheses (specific questions) perform important functions in research such as the

following:

1. They help the researcher in designing his study: what methods, research
instruments, sampling design, and statistical treatments to be use, what data to be
gather, and etc.

2. They serve as bases for determining assumptions.

3. They serve as bases for determining the relevance of data.

4. They serve as bases for the explanation or discussion about the data gathered.

5. They help or guide the researcher in consolidating his findings and in formulating his
conclusions. Generally, findings and conclusions are answers to the hypotheses or
specific questions raised at the start of the investigation.
REFERENCES:

Aquino, Guadencio V., Essentials of Research and Thesis Writing. Quezon City:
Alemars-Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., 1974

Babble, Earl. The Practice of Social Research. Fourth Edition. Belmont, California:
Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. 1986

Berelson, Bernard. Content Analysis in Communication Research. Glencoe, Illinois:

Free Press, 1952

Good, Carter V. Introduction to Educational Research. New York: Meredith Publishing

Company, Inc.,1963.

Good, Carter V. and Douglas E. Scates. Methods of Research: Educational,

Psychological, Sociological. Manila: Appleton-Century-Croft, Inc., 1972. (Reprinted by
National Book Store).

Treece, Eleonor Walters and James William Treece, Jr. The Elements of Research in
Nursing. Saint Louis: C.V. Mosby Company, Inc., 1973. (Reprinted by Phoenix Press,
Inc.)

Treece, Eleonor Walters and James William Treece, Jr. The Elements of Research in
Nursing. Second Edition. Saint Louis: C.V. Mosby Company, Inc., 1977. (Reprinted by
Phoenix Press, Inc.)

Sanchez, Custodiosa A. Methods and Techniques of Research, Manila:Rex Book Store

Inc., 1980.